Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Night had fallen over the Hell Mountains. Amid the constant chorus of beastly roars, a string of explosions ripped through the darkness.

Rustle rustle!

A patch of forest shook with noisy movement as more than twenty figures wove their way through it. Nearly twenty Golden Core Realm cultivators were giving chase, surrounding a lone figure at the very front—Ye Feng, who shot forward like a madman, eyes glinting cold and sharp.

Whoosh!

A chilling streak of light flashed at him from an angle too subtle to notice. Ye Feng didn’t hear a thing.

Then, a dart pierced through his shoulder.

If he hadn’t twisted around at the last moment, that dart would have sunk into Li Guanqi’s heart.

Hmmph!

Ye Feng groaned. Though he had broken through, he dared not fight them head-on. His task was to hold out and buy time. If Li Guanqi succeeded in his breakthrough, they would have a chance to break free.

Both he and the hunters understood this simple truth. They were even a little terrified of Li Guanqi’s strength and swordsmanship. If he broke through, some of them might even abandon the chase in fear.And with each passing moment, Li Guanqi’s aura grew stronger.

Ye Feng’s forehead was slick with cold sweat as he darted and weaved through the air, the Thunder Wings propelling him in sharp, sudden turns.

“Faster! Faster!”

Suddenly, a massive brown python, thick as a man’s waist, burst from a tree trunk ahead, its jaws opening wide.

The sudden attack made Ye Feng’s heart race.

With a flurry of swings, he split the tier-two demonic beast into bloody chunks, but the effort slowed him for a heartbeat too long.

Ye Feng stood still with a darkened expression, cursing under his breath, “Damn it!”

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Whoosh whoosh!

The hunters closed in, their strongest attacks raining down in unison.

A violent gale swept out, flattening ancient trees within dozens of zhang.

Vital force surged through Ye Feng’s body as his eyes shone with killing intent. He stepped hard off the ground, aimed himself at a few people who had relatively low cultivation levels, then held his sword with both hands.

Vital force roared through Ye Feng’s body. His eyes burned with killing intent as he stomped off the ground and charged at several weaker cultivators, gripping his sword with both hands.

His sword flared with dazzling golden light. “Fearsome Tiger’s Roar, Splitting the Mountain!”

Boom!

Like a hunting tiger, he crouched and pounced, leaving a golden afterimage behind. The sword light blazed, then vanished.

Three Golden Core Realm cultivators dropped in his wake, cleaved clean at the waist.

Boom!

Ye Feng flipped mid-air and turned to face the rest of the enemies.

Clang clang clang clang clang!

He parried frantically, blocking blow after blow, but several sword lights still tore into him. Blood splattered, and Ye Feng fell from the sky.

Thud!

Boom!

A deep, wide crater opened in the loose soil below. Face down, Ye Feng spat a mouthful of blood. He was in agony, his bones screaming as though shattering. His organs had moved out of place, and he couldn’t stabilize his energies.

Enduring the pain, Ye Feng forced himself to his feet. His left leg’s Achilles tendon had been cut, blood staining his white robes crimson.

Li Guanqi remained locked in cultivation, refining his energy with desperate focus.

Li Guanqi knew that with Ye Feng’s personality, as long as he drew breath, he would never let harm touch Li Guanqi.

“What are you afraid of? After him! He’s finished!”

“Hahaha! The fruit is mine!”

“Tsk! After him! Don’t let him escape!”

“The territory of the tier-four demonic beasts is just a hundred li ahead. We need to wrap this up quickly before we run into trouble!”

Ye Feng’s heart sank. A few deaths wouldn’t intimidate the hardened hunters pursuing them.

He took to the air again—only to cough up more blood. Clutching his wound, he plunged deeper into the forest without a glance back.

Each step drained his vital force. His breakthrough was fresh, unstable, and the brutal fight was tearing him apart. But he had no choice.

He glanced over at Li Guanqi, whose vital force was surging even more fiercely, then gritted his teeth and rushed toward the mountains.

However, he was too slow. Very soon, the crowd of hunters surrounded him.

They used all sorts of tricks to limit Ye Feng’s speed, launching an endless rain of attacks. They were all vicious fighters, and the moment he let his guard down, he would suffer several more wounds.

Ye Feng maintained an airtight defense, swinging his sword while twisting at the waist to dodge their strikes. He shielded Li Guanqi from all sides, never once letting any harm reach him.

The hunters gave each other a look, then changed their target from Ye Feng to Li Guanqi.

Ye Feng’s burden suddenly multiplied. He pushed his sprint technique to its limit, but to protect Li Guanqi, he was forced to take blow after blow head-on.

Pfft!

A sword thrust pierced through him. Ye Feng seized the attacker’s wrist, squeezing until it snapped.

Bloodshot eyes blazing, he fought like a cornered beast, under attack from all sides.

Three blades slashed towards him, yet Ye Feng astonishingly deflected them all with his arms and palms.

At the same time, he killed the two people in front of him. Only one person managed to dodge his sword light, stumbling back in shock with blood trickling down his neck.

Leaning against a tree trunk, Ye Feng stared blankly ahead, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Haashh… Hasshhh…

Blood blurred his vision. He wiped it with a trembling hand, spat out blood, and felt his dantian running dry. Still, he maintained a vicious glare.

Suddenly, he raised his head and bellowed, “Come at me, you bastards!”

The hunters froze for an instant, then surged forward.

Sword lights rained down in every direction, intent on wiping out both Ye Feng and Li Guanqi.

Ye Feng pressed his blade flat against his chest, then kicked off the tree trunk with explosive force.

Crack crack!

He didn’t clash with them head-on. Instead, he used the recoil to hurl himself away, fleeing into the night.